Found
by jolandafoekens
Summary: This is a sequal to my previous story 'Lost'. I'll try to make it readable for people who hadn't read lost, but I still recommend to read it before this. This story is about Nick, Constance and Mildred growing to be a real family, with some extra help from an unexpected person.
1. Chapter 1

_Constance ran to mistress Broomhead her class. She was actually way earlier than scheduled, but for some reason she felt the urge to run anyway: what if something would happen which caused a delay in her way to class? Broomhead would yell again, make her feel more useless than she already felt and add an extra essay of 15 pages to her homework. If she was lucky, Broomhead had already done worse. Luckily, today nothing happened and she was 15 minutes early. She decided on reviewing her essay for a final time. Last time she didn't had the time to do so, so she was worried about what Broomhead would say this time. Right at the moment she had unpacked her essay, Broomhead materialised right in front of her. Constance her heart sank. She had seen that face more often than she wished. Tears came up her eyes. "Constance. Reviewing your essay?" "Y-yes mistress Broomhead.", she answered quietly. "Sounds like a good idea. Your last essay was worthless. We even expect a higher level from the first years here at Witch Training. What on earth was happening in your head that you could hand in this essay?" "I don't know, miss Broomhead.", Constance answered while looking down to her feet. She could feel a hot tear running down her face. Mistress Broomhead started to yell: "Of course you know! Tell me!"_

Constance woke up with a little yell. She sat up in her bed straight away, without even noticing. Nick also woke up. "Are you okay, sweetie?", he asked her while he wrapped his arms around her waist. Constance put her arms over his. "Yeah, I think so. It was just a nightmare. About Heckety again. She really never showed she cared back then…", she answered. Both of them laid down again, Constance on Nick his chest. "Yes, I could hear that. I hope you didn't wake up Mildred with that yell." "Probably not. She's quite a deep sleeper.", Constance answered sleepy. "Are you sure?" "Yes.". Constance started giggling, which caused Nick to have a huge smile on his face. "The care-taker once installed a new alarm for emergencies, and we decided to test it in the middle of the night. I'm sure you could still hear the alarm over here in the city, but she slept right through it! Turned out she had been studying for her potions exam the next day… Which reminds me I still have to check her class's exam from a couple of days back.", Constance answered. "You can do that tomorrow morning. Now I want to hear more of this funny stories.", Nick said with a grin on his face. "I like to see a smile on your face again. I've missed it.".

When Mildred came downstairs, she still felt a little sleepy. "What day is it? I completely lost track of days…", she asked, when she entered the living room. "Yes, that's what you get when your headmistress gives the whole school a holiday of a half week, while you should be studying hard in disciplined.", her father said to her, with his arms crossed and a strict face. Mildred looked at him with a lame face. "Could you please stop acting like mom? You fail in it.". "HEY! I can still HEAR you!", her mother's voice came from the living room. Mildred and her father started giggling. "That's no good, what if she'll deduct a point from your potions exam?". Mildred started to feel a bit panicked. "Mommy? Are you checking my exam?" "Yes, after Enid's. Couple of days later than usual, but still, I had a really good reason for that.", she answered. "I still don't know what day-" "Tuesday, sweetie, you're still free for today and tomorrow and at Thursday, the classes will begin again.", she answered.

An hour after breakfast, the bell rang. Nick already wanted to go to the door, when Mildred ran past him. "MAAAUUUD!", she yelled while running to the door. When she opened the door, she immediately hugged her best friend. "We both have an A- for our potions exam!", she yelled in her ear. "Are you serious?", Maud asked, with a surprised face. "Oh, don't sound so surprised, Maud. Both of you worked really hard for it.", Constance, who had followed her daughter, said. "Yes, Miss Hardbroom." "Oh, don't call me 'Miss Hardbroom', in my own house. That feels awkward.", Constance answered. "Please just call me Constance.". Maud looked thoughtful for a moment. "But that feels awkward for me…", she answered shy. "Then we make a deal: you call me Constance while your hear, and back in the castle, I'm Miss Hardbroom again. Come in, have some tea!", Constance invited Maud.

Heckety hoped Nick and Constance could forgive her. They both try, but she had done more harm to them than she had ever known. 'It was just my way of acting', she thought. 'No one ever told me how wrong I was. I hope they once realise how sorry I am.'.


	2. Chapter 2

Soo, this chapter took a bit longer to be published than usual. But then, I found a post on Tumblr which I found quite inspirational, so here it is. I hope you enjoy! And please review this, I love reviews, so that I can improve things :)  
_

Mildred and Maud went into town after lunch. "It must feel strange for you, now knowing HB is your mother.", Maud said, while sitting down in the park. "It does feel weird indeed. But at the same time, I got used to it a bit already. It feels weird and normal at the same time, to say it like that.", Mildred answered. "I'm glad I'm finally able to see her happy like that. She and dad seem to be very happy together." "And she's happy to have you again, of course! Oh, don't blush like that", Maud continued when she saw Mildred blush, "It's true. You haven't seen the look in her eyes when we both walked away to the park. It's the same look my mom always has when she tells me to be careful when I leave house!", she said. "Well, I guess it's true I think.", Mildred said eventually. "I'm happy to know they are my parents as well, you know. What was the reaction of the others at school?". Maud giggled. "Ethel would never say it out loud, but everyone knows she hates it. She has to be even more careful with what she does around you, because your mother will be more involved in what you do. Now, the bad thing is, Miss Bat and Miss Tapioca are planning on keeping a party for solving all this. The party will be something Mongolian, and there will be Mongolian food. Even Pentagles and Camelot are invited and they both accepted…". Mildred turned pale white. "Oh no… Mom is going to hate this!".

Constance walked towards Nick on the couch and settled herself in his arms. "It still feels so surreal to be able to lay in your arms again. I thought it wouldn't ever happen anymore.", she said softly, after sipping from hear tea. "You can't believe how happy I am to have you in my arms again. When I opened the coffee shop back home, I didn't really realise how much it would hurt to see family's there.". Constance tried to smile. "I felt a bit like that when I started to work at Cackles. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have done it. Especially when I just started it felt like every girl could have been mine.", she said. "It never stopped hurting me." "You only started working there because of me?", Nick asked surprised. "Yes, well, kind of. It was something I always wanted to do and you wouldn't want me not to do it, so I felt like I had to do it…", Constance answered. "Well, I think we both ended up pretty well, with the decisions we made. In both cases Mildred could connect us both to each other, and surprisingly she ended up to be our daughter as well!", Nick said, which made both of them giggle. They were quiet for a moment, in which Constance made herself more comfortable in Nick's arms. "We have to reconsider the bedspread you choose, though.", Nick said after a while. Constance looked at him with a shocked face. "What's wrong with my bedspread?", she asked, almost yelling. "It's black." "What's wrong with black? I wear black most of the time!" "It's so dark." "Yes, so? It's dark in the bedroom most of the time we spend there!" "Well, uhm, except for the times when we have fun there…". Constance looked at Nick with big eyes. "And what kind of bedspread did you have in mind for that?" "I don't know, something fun. Ducks or so?" "Ducks? Ducks! How can ducks make it more fun!", she yelled frustrated. "It's at least less depressing than black!" "But I can't exactly say ducks bring me in the mood either!". Nick sighted. "Okay, okay. No ducks then." "Anything plain will do, as long as there aren't ducks on my bedspread…", Constance said softly, while she put her head against Nick his shoulder again. The doorbell rang. "Ah, that will be Milly her surprise.", Nick said.

Mildred and Maud were still chatting in the park, when Maud sat up straight in all of a sudden. "Shit, Milly! How late does HB wants you to be at home?" "I don't know, before tea or so, and that's at 4. She's not as strict as she used to be now we know she's my- oh no, it's already five to 4! Run!", she said with big eyes.

When they arrived at home, Nick welcomed them at the back door. "Ah, Maud, it's good that you came as well. Constance made some tea for you as well, and even baked some cookies!" "Mommie backed some cookies?", Mildred asked with as surprised, almost frustrated voice. "Since when does she bake?" "I can hear you... AGAIN!", she heard a voice yell from the kitchen. She saw her mother come out of the kitchen. "But yes, I backed some cookies. That's at least what I've been told…", she said, while Mildred her adoptive parents followed her to the kitchen. "Mommy! Daddy!", Mildred said, while hugging both of them. "Oh…", she said, when thinking of Constance and Nick. "It's okay, sweetie. You've been practicaly raised by them, and it means you can get double the amount of parental love children usual get!", Nick said. "Which is always good.", Sarah, Mildred her adoptive mother, said. "Yes, I think that's right.", Mildred answered. "Come on, Maud, it smells like mommy backed way to much cookies just for us!" "Are you sure?", Maud said, a bit unsecure. "Of course she is! You're her best friend!", Constance said, with a surprised face.

Constance felt happier than before, seeing everyone enjoying her cookies. 'I baked cookies.', she thought. 'Not by myself, but I backed them. As a proper mother is supposed to do'. Although this was the first thing she did which she believed a mother should do, she felt like Mildred's mom all the time. When she tucked Mildred in for the first time, she for example already felt like a mom. Or when Mildred was panicking for her potions test, and she helped her out. Or even at the end of Mildred her first semester, when Mildred saved the whole school from Miss Cackle her wicked twin sister, and she comforted Mildred by thanking her. Constance noticed Mildred and Maud laughing about something Nick said. He was holding a rubber duck. 'Maybe,' Constance thought, 'Maybe I've always felt like I was her mother. I just never wanted anyone to know.'.


	3. Chapter 3

So, this is a flashback. It's not what I planned for the next chapter, but since I think it suits the story well, here it is anyway! It's kind of how Nick and Constance were happy before all the shit happened and how they'll (yes, I'm going to spoil this, but if it wasn't obvious yet, you did something wrong) always be. I think you guys deserved something like this for the long waiting. Hope you'll enjoy this!

 _Constance found a letter in her mailbox. This isn't something unusual, it happens more often, but those are the kind of letters from for example banks or insurance companies. The letters she hated so much, because they were so unpersonal. So… Not handwritten._

 _This one was different. Her name and address were handwritten –even in a curly writing. She loved that kind of writing more than any other kind of writing. There's only one person who knew… Constance started to feel warm. She decided to read all the boring letters first. An insurance company and a bank sent her a letter, which didn't contain much useful information. She put it away on her usual spot on the table and then decided to read the letter._

 _"Dear Constance,_

 _I really enjoyed the concert and the coffee afterwards, especially with your presence. I'm not completely sure if you noticed, but I really loved the fact that you kind of like the same things as I do –or at least, don't mind me doing my own thing, since you would hate me for hating you for you doing your own thing, and you don't hate me since I don't hate you for doing –anyways! Shit, this is crap, I'm nervous, and I'm not even sure you'll accept since this letter s crap because of my nervousness, but I'll still try: Do you mind for going on another coffee?_

 _Nick"_

 _Constance almost dropped the letter out of shock. A positive shock. Tears filled her eyes out of happiness, something which she never imagined to happen after Broomhead. Someone liked her enough to ask her for another coffee? She looked at the return address on the envelope and then started writing._

 _"Dear Nick,_

 _I don't mind you being that nervous about it, I actually think it's kind of cute. I love to have a coffee with you again. I still don't have a job yet (I hate to admit it, but I feel like your aunt is a main reason for this, I'm sorry!) so I'm basically available at any time of the day at any day of the week. I suggest you surprise me and come at my door to bring me to a good coffeeshop?_

 _Constance_

 _PS: Shit, that sounded desperate. I didn't mean to state it like that."_

 _Constance walked around in the living room nervously. It had been a week since she sent her last letter to Nick. He still hadn't replied. Tears filled her eyes. He hadn't completely lost hope on her, right?_

 _The doorbell rang. Constance rolled her eyes. 'Please, not the scout girls again', she thought, 'I already had eight pairs of those in the last week!'. She walked to her door and opened. Her jaw dropped. It was Nick. With a bunch of black roses. "…Hey.", Constance eventually said. "Hey.", Nick answered. "I wanted to buy you some flowers, but I didn't know which ones. Last time you told me your favourite flowers are roses and your favourite colour is black, and then I saw these, and… Shit.", he said, while he turned red and looked at the floor. Constance blushed. 'He. Is. Absolutely. Perfect.', she thought. "It's okay. They're perfect. Do you want to come in?" "I… Actually wanted to take you on a coffee. Since you kind of accepted in your last letter. Constance giggled. "That's true, I think.". She put a grin onto her face. "But I'd like to put those in a vase first, if you don't mind.", she answered, pointing at the flowers._

 _This ritual kind of repeated itself for 3 times a week in the next month or so. If Nick didn't show up at Constance her house, she would walk to Nick's house in a 'very, very bad mood', and even when he started to know the trick, he would fall for it, until Constance would laugh for the next 30 minutes in the coffee shop. When Constance wouldn't show up at Nick's house, he would go to hers, and would then do exactly the same to her, but then crying. Until he was done laughing for a good 30 minutes in their favourite coffee shop._

 _This continued until one day, Nick kissed Constance on her lips, instead of a shy kiss on her cheek. Constance her heart dropped when he did this, but she kind of liked it. A lot. She hadn't felt so… loved in a long period of time, so she decided to kiss back. The kiss was really intense, even more intense than Nick ever experienced. "Do you want to come in?", Constance asked, after finally being able to catch her breath again. "I… Think so, yeah.", Nick answered, after which he got that laugh which Constance laughed that much on his face again._

 _Constance was able to open herself up way more than she had ever could. She felt save with Nick. She actually felt safer than she had ever felt in her entire life. Because it was Nick. She couldn't believe he was Broomhead her cousin. This was actually her 'first time' of her life, although she was already 21. Everyone whom she knew of already lost their virginity before they went to Weirdsister._

 _"How are you feeling?", Nick asked her. "Good.", Constance answered, in a sleepy, but content way. "Are you going to stay with me for the rest of my life?" "Only if you let me.". Constance made her way on top of him and gave him an intense kiss. "Then you'll be with me for the rest of my life. Whether you'll like it or not.", she answered with a grin on her face. Nick grinned to. "That's good. 'Cause I didn't plan on leaving you."._


	4. Chapter 4

"Will you once teach me how to bake a cake as well?", Constance asked Marilyn, Mildred her adoptive mother, when she let her and her husband out later that night. Mildred was already asleep, and Maud already back to Cackles, since it was already quite late. "So that I can bake her a birthday cake next year!". Marilyn smiled. "Of course I will. Milly loves birthday cakes.", she answered. Constance started laughing. "For the last couple of years I've had the had the idea she likes any food, as long as it isn't prepared at our school! Miss Tapioca can cook, our facilities just aren't made for her skills…"

"Shall we go back to our cottage back home during summer holiday?", Constance asked with a tired voice. "To see who lives there now, and how they changed it." "They will have changed a lot.", Nick answered. "Even the babyroom you were so proud of." "I know. That's why I didn't returned earlier. I wanted to, but I was afraid it would hurt too much. Now that I have you and Mildred again, it feels save to go back again. It feels like closing a chapter.", she answered, while Nick pulled her closer. "I think it's okay then. We can bring Mildred as well. I think she would love to know where we lived." "It doesn't have to be in the holiday as well.", Constance said. "Miss Cackle always gives the girls and us the weekends of if we don't have anything to do." "Are you sure?" "Yes, of course! She always repeats that-" "No, not like that. Like, can you go there this quick?". Constance smiled a bit. "I feel like I need too.", she answered.

 _"_ _I want it pink. Whether you'll like it or not.", Constance almost yelled, watery eyes. Nick never seen her like this. They stood in front of the wall paint. "Baby-girly-pink, to be precisely.", she continued. She crossed her arms. It was not like she was being childish, Nick felt, it was as if she really really REALLY wanted it to be this way. Constance let her shoulders hang and a tear dropped down her face. "Please?", she asked. Nick pulled her closer. "Of course! But why baby-pink, for God's sake?" "Because it's going to be a girl! I already told you so!", Constance answered, with her frustrated but still loving voice. Nick felt something move. Somewhere in his belly. Apparently Constance did so too. Constance looked up at him with big eyes. "I…" "She kicked.", Nick answered. From the look on her face, Nick could tell she would almost start to cry again, but now from happiness. "You finally called her a SHE!", she said. Nick felt tears coming up to his eyes to. "And we felt her kick!", he answered, while he pulled Constance even closer._

Constance, Nick, and Mildred walked in after an older lady let them in. Mildred walked in front of them, with her big, curious eyes. She didn't speak. "I didn't change much. Only the furniture. As if there was much furniture left. I left the baby-room untouched, if you don't mind. I kinda like baby-rooms and I never had the heart to change it… Anyway.", she said, when she saw the looks on the faces of Constance and Nick. "Anyone would like for some tea?" "Yes!" Mildred answered immediately with an enthusiastic voice. "…It's cold outside.", she continued when she saw her parents surprised faces. "She's starting to look more and more like you!", Nick said to Constance, with a happy face. "What's wrong with that?", Constance answered, almost yelling again. "Nothing! You know I like you, so I don't mind her looking more and more like you!"

Mildred walked around the house a bit, with her cup of tea in her hands, to keep her warm. Her parents were still talking to the old lady downstairs. At moments like this, she'd whish Maud and Enid were with her. She could imagine her parents were happy here, and she would have loved to have talked about it with someone like Maud. It's a beautiful house. She found a door, left on ajar. She decided to open it and saw a completely pink room. It had a cradle in it, and loads of toys. "…Oh. You found it.", she heard a familiar voice say from behind. When she looked behind her, she found her mother. Constance blushed and looked at the ground. "It were my hormones, I think. The pink." "I love pink. I always did.", Mildred answered truthfully, with a blissful face, while she continued to look around. "Realy?", her mother answered surprised. "Yes. I wore pink all the time when I could.", Mildred said, "But it of course didn't show to well with the school uniform.", she continued with a grin. "I told you she would have loved it.", Nick said, while he appeared from down the stairs and wrapped his arms around Constance her waist. "How did you know?", Constance asked with a surprised face, while trying to look at his face behind her. "The same way you knew this room had to be pink. Gut feeling.", he answered. "HORMONES!", every woman in the house yelled at him. "That's not the same thing!", Constance continued angrily.

"You can go down already.", Constance said. "I… Want to have a look around one more time." "On your own? Are you sure?", Nick answered worried. Constance nodded. "It feels like I have to.".  
It wasn't that much Constance did. To everyone else, it might sound different, but to her, it released her heart: She imagined a baby- and toddler Mildred crawling around in this room, her changing her diapers in this room. Constance seeing her growing up. She'd only been in the room for 15 minutes, but that was enough for her: she imagined herself to raise Mildred and she had cried her eyes out for it. That was the only reason she went here. Because her heart felt like a knot before she went here all the time. She felt released when she walked out of the room and she gave it one more look, before going back to her family.

The family decided to have dinner at the end of the day at a grillroom restaurant. Mildred looked around surprised. "Why are you looking so surprised?", Constance asked her after a while. "Oh, I don't know. It looks more cosy than I expected from a Grillroom restaurant!", Mildred answered. Constance and Nick looked at each other with a surprised face. "Oh? Really?" "Yes… Why? You make it sound like it's so strange!" "Well, during daytime, this restaurant serves as a coffeeshop. The concert we went to was during a festival and afterwards, we had a coffee here!", Nick said. "Really? At this place?", Mildred asked. "At this exact same table!", Constance answered. "And a week later, we had dinner at this exact same table, as our first date!", she continued. "Aww, that sounds cute!", Mildred answered. "Be glad you're my daughter, else you would have been a pile of green slime right now.", Constance answered with a grin on her face, after which everyone started laughing.

Mildred started to feel more and more warm from the inside when she heard more of her parents. They loved each other very, very much, more than she had ever seen before. And they loved her. To have even two loving families and that her biological family was very loving, was even more than she'd hoped for. She would do anything to keep it this way


	5. Chapter 5

Heckety sat in her living room. She always felt troubled when she had to apologize in words to someone. Instead she decided to write a letter to Constance. Even this was harder than she had expected. She had already threw away five letters. She sighted, after which she looked at the picture of Constance her graduation class of Weirdsister. Constance looked shy in it. When you didn't know she is in the picture, you wouldn't have noticed her. 'That's what she always did back then', Heckety thought. 'Hiding. So that no one noticed her. So that I wouldn't notice her. I never meant to do that. I'm glad she found herself back. Kind of.'.

'Dear Constance,

I already threw away five letters which I wanted to send to you, so I'm hoping this will be the last one. In the previous letters I felt like I didn't say it the way like I wanted to say –anyways, never mind that. If I'll spend too much time on that, I'll forget why I was writing this letter.

I wanted to say sorry. Let's start with that. You must have thought I hated you. You do think I hated you, right? I didn't actually meant to let you think that, it is just the fact that I only knew one tune, and I couldn't dance to any other. If I saw someone with potential, I would be extremely hard to that person, so that I would feel like that person would achieve everything that person could achieve and maybe even more. Because that's how I was treated by my parents, and I never realised how wrong they were, until I applied it to you. I failed to recognize how insecure you became of this, until you started to work at Cackles.

Yes, I only started to realise then. At Cackles, there were people who appreciated you for who you are and for what you COULD do, where I let you feel hated for the things you couldn't do. While you could do much more than I was ever willing to admit.

Constance, those things I always said you did wrong, were excuses.

Constance, I feel sorry for the fact that I made you feel much more insecure than you should have been.

Constance, what I absolutely NOT feel sorry about is using all this to 'tear your family apart', as you like to call it. I know it must have hurt you in some way that you kind of lost the youth of your daughter like this, but I felt like this was the best way to save your family from your grandmother. I wish I could tell you straight away, but then she would have killed Mildred and Nick as well. Please, trust me when I tell you I would have told you when the time was right, and please, also trust me when I tell you I was feeling just as relieved as you were when you could hug your daughter until she was barely able to breath (you have to trust me on this as well, she told me she feared her life when you hugged her because of this when I was at the party at your house).

Please, I don't ask you to accept my apologizes straight away, but I want you to consider my apologizes. Or at least, consider to stop hating me. Please.

Heckety Broomhead."

Constance read the letter with tears in her eyes. Nick walked closer to her. "Are you okay, Connie?", he asked. Constance her lip was shacking. She looked at her feet. Nick took her chin and lifted it up again, while looking her into her eyes. "Please. Tell me. Mildred just went to ms. Cosie with Enid and Maud, so you can tell me.". A tear rolled over Constance her face. "I'm glad she took the effort to write this. Just read it.", she answered. When Nick was finished reading, he smiled. "Write her back.", he just said, "Write her back, and when necassery, write six letters as well, as long as you tell her how you feel. You will feel relieved.". Constance looked at her feet. Not for long, since Nick lifted her face again. "Please?", he almost begged her

'Dear Mrs. Broomhead,

In a way, I'm glad you wrote this letter to me. In a way it showed me you cared. In a way it also showed you also wanted me to be happy. On the other hand, I wish I knew before. Indeed, give me some time. I don't say I hate you for it, I just wished you did some things different.

Constance'

When Constance dropped the letter in the mailbox, she felt different. "How do you feel?", Nick asked her, while pulling Constance closer. "Different.", she mumbled. "I'll need some whine tonight." "Ah, that's good. Since I bought the bottle of wine we had at our first date, Miss Cackle won't expect you back at the castle this weekend and Mildred will be having a sleepover at Maud's.", Nick said in one breath, in fear of what Constance would say. "Whát?", Constance almost yelled. "I hope you don't mind me telling you just now.", he said. "Yes, I do!", Constance yelled back. She decided to keep her voice down for the next sentence. "My bra's from 14 or 15 years ago won't fit me anymore right now!" "I don't care! Boobs are boobs!"


	6. Chapter 6

After almost 2,5 years, Finaly a continue to this story! I'm sorry I've kept you waiting for this long! I hope you'll enjoy the ideas I have for this story :D  
_

"I'm nervous.", Mildred mumbled softly while she hid under the blankets, hoping her parents wouldn't hear her. She called Maud, since she simply hád to talk to someone. "What for?", Maud answered. "Well, tomorrow we'll be back at Cackle's and I'm still not sure how people will react to the fact that mom is now basically… my mom. And have you forgotten about that Mongolian party miss Bat and miss Tapioca want to organise? I'm still not quite sure wether mom will like that." Maud giggled. "No worries, I think she will be just fine! I already told you when I was with you earlier this week, it seems like she hás changed now she knows she has a family again." "Yes, well, I hope things stay this way. And Maud, I'm mostly frightend of dissapointing her even more. What if she thinks that…"  
"Stop that!", two people at the same time yelled at Mildred. Mildred instinctively threw her blankets of and faced Constance straight away. "Eh, Maud… I think I'll see you tomorrow.", she told her best friend, after wich she hung up. Constance and Mildred stared at each other for a few seconds before Mildred started to speak. "…How much of that conversation did you just hear?". Constance raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter with that mongolian party?". Mildred started to giggle nervously. "Well, it's just something Maud told me when she was here… Miss Bat and Miss Tapioca wanted to do this party because of us or so…". Constance sighted and rolled her eyes. "What a suprise. I could do with one party though. As long as Miss Bat won't do some Mongolian chanting… Now, will she?" "I'm not sure. I wouldn't even be suprised if she would.", Mildred answered. Constance sighted again, and sat down next to Mildred. "I suppose I'll have to act as if I like it then. Again. Now, what were you saying about being afraid of dissapointing me?". Mildred was sure she could feel her heart sank through the floor, all the way to the basement. "Well…" Constance whipped some hair from Mildred her face and could see some tears in her daughter her eyes. It felt as if she could feel some cracks appear in her own heart. "Millie?", she said, trying to find her daughters eyes. "Millie, I never wanted to make you feel like I was ever dissapointed in you, because I never was. I maybe was a bit hard on you, but that was mostly because I always believed in you and I was afraid you wouldn't make it this far without me being that hard. But I was never dissapointed in you and I'll never will be, unless you stop working as hard as you always did. And I'm sure you will. I think I already told you this once, but again: I know you can do this, and therefore, I'm not dissapointed.". Mildred looked up at her mother, still with tears in her eyes. "Really? You always yelled at me and it made me feel horrible. It made me want to be more like Ethel. You hardly ever yelled at her.". Constance smiled. "I didn't want to bother. I didn't want to put my time in such an arrogant girl. Yes, she can learn from books and her spells and potions are all well, but that doesn't make her a propper which. A propper which fights for everything she believes in without harming others. Since 'harming others for her own good' is everything Ethel can believe in, she's not a proper witch. You are." She smiled at her daughter. "Millie? Don't ever forget your values. Don't ever forget what I just told you. And hold me back a little when I make you nervous again at Cackle's." Mildred smiled. She felt relieved. "As long as you help me to stay a proper witch.", she answerd, while she curled up against her mother. "You don't need any help to stay a proper witch, I think. But if it makes you feel better, yes I'll help you.", Constance answered, while she pulled her daughter closer to her.


	7. Chapter 7

Constance woke up early and smiled when she saw that Nick decided he would try to fit himself in a comfortable position in the chair on Mildred her room so that he wouldn't have to sleep alone. He'd always been like that, making sure Constance and Milly wouldn't wake up and still finding a way to be with them, mainly to be with Constance. Mildred was still fast asleep. 'Perhaps a bit my own fault that she's sleeping for so long', she thaught, 'It was me who'd been keeping her awake for so long last night'. She stood op, careful not to wake Mildred. She smiled at the thought of what they've been talking about last night. Despite the fact that Mildred had already questioned her about 218 times (Constance might have counted the number) about the marriage, Mildred still wanted to know more. She really had to find the pictures and the movie during summerbreak, she thought. This week was too short to get used to each other, let alone to find pictures and a movie. Still carefull not to wake her family, she walked to the kitchen. She was glad she and Mildred had already packed all their stuff the day before. This allowed her to let Mildred sleep for a little while longer and make her a proper breakfast before she had to live of that Tapioca… stuff.

Mildred woke up to the smell of fried eggs, bacon, sausages, and really strong coffee. She sat up while her stomach made a sound of a hungry horse. "Well, you woke up because of the same reason I did, I think.", she heard her father say next to her. Mildred looked gave her father a suprised look. "What are you doing here?", she asked him. "Well, last night I wanted to go to sleep, but I couldn't find your mother anywhere. Turned out you both fell asleep in your bed. I just decided to watch you for a bit, since you both looked quite adorable, and then I must've fell asleep as well.", he answerd. "Breakfast is ready, and if I'm called adorable one more time I'll turn the person who called me that in a frog!", they heard Constance yell from downstairs. Mildred giggled. "She's just acting as if she's angry. She'll never change me into a frog.", Nick whisperd to Mildred. "No, a pig will be more fun perhaps!".

After breakfast, Constance and Mildred put everything on their broomsticks, and said their goodbye's to Nick. Constance felt her throat go thick for a second when she saw Mildred in his arms, asking how much he would write to them. It was just the way she always wanted it to be, she noticed. When she met Nick, she just hoped for a loving family. Nick and Mildred fitted perfect in that picture. They loved her, and even more importantly, she had a family to love, a family to take care of, and a family to go home to. 'Strange', she thought, 'That it takes a goodbye to realise how lucky I am.'

Frankly enough, the flight back to Cackles went quite smoothly for Mildred, Constance noticed. She looked more confident. 'Let's just hope she stays this confident', Constance thought. She wouldn't want Mildred to fall of her broom in front of Ethel Hallow. Luckily, this didn't happen. Mildred made a nice, smooth landing, next to her. Mildred didn't even have her feet on the ground for 2 seconds when Constance heard 2 very familiar voices call out for Mildred. "Milly! Finally! It has been quite boring when you weren't around! Hello, miss Hardbroom.", Enid Nightshade said. "Boring?", Constance said while she raised an eyebrow. "Eh, well, yes… I just wanted to say I missed Mildred.", Enid answered with a nervous face. Constance started to laugh. "Luckily it's still quite easy to make you nervous. I think I won't be bored for the next couple of weeks!". Mildred and Maud giggled at the expression on the face of their friend. Enid turned around, trying to look angry. "Are you two laughing at me?", she said loudly. "It appears so, doesn't it?", Constance answered her question, even before Mildred or Maud could answer the question. "Come on girls, let's go inside. It's still quite cold.".

When they entered the entrence hall, both Mildred and Constance were shocked. "Ah… Yes. Miss Bat and Miss Tapioca organised a Mongolian party for you…", Maud said slowly. "I see…", Constance answered just as slowly. "…But perhaps they were a bit overenthousiastic. Especially miss Bat. You know miss Bat and her ethousiasm for the Mongolian culture, right?". Mildred looked around. The whole hall was decorated in a mongolian style, and she wouldn't be suprised if the whole school was decorated in the same way. There were 'welcome back' signs everywhere. "Come on. Let's go to the great hall.", Mildred mumbled to her mother. Constance didn't say a thing. She just nodded.

When they entered the Great Hall, Mildred noticed her mother had to sit down for a moment. Mildred started to giggle. She couldn't blame her. There was a group of people who made Mongolian music –something which was supposed to sound like music- , and miss Bat was dancing happily on the music and she kind of forced miss Drill to dance along with her. Miss Drill obviously didn't look to happy and when she noticed Mildred and Constance, she called out for them in the most relieved kind of way you could ever imagine. "Mildred! Constance! You're back!", she said. Miss Bat turned around quickly. "Oh, you're back!", she also said. "I hope you don't mind we already started the party?", she said. Constance, who was able of feeling her legs again, stood up and said. "N-No, of course not. It looks… Fun!", she said, trying to be enthousiastic. "Really?", said miss Bat. "Miss Tapioca and I have been working on this all week! We already hoped you'd love it!". Constance tried to smile. When miss Bat went to the tables with the food, Mildred moved closer to her mother. "You hate it, don't you?", she asked, giggling. "I think 'hate' isn't the right word. I think I just have to… find my way into it.", Constance answered.

After a while, Constance heard a familiar voice behind her. "Constance, you're back! How was your week of with Mildred and Nick?". Constance turned around and smiled. "It was wonderfull, thank you, Amelia. It was amazing to finally realise I have a family." "I'm glad to hear so. You haven't heard from Mistress Broomhead, now, have you?", Amelia asked again. "I've recieved an apologyletter from her. I do think it will take some time before I can completaly forgive her, though. I now she did everything with the best intentions, but if I just knew everything she did earlier, I wouldn't have to be in all that pain for all those years.". Amelia smiled. "I know. I think she knows too.". Constance smiled. "Yeah. I'm glad I found out she didn't do everything because she hated me. She cared. All That time I thought she hated me.". Constance looked down. "I think it was a sacrifice for her as well. No one would want to be hated, right?", she said.

To be continued :)


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